Folding bedstead



(No Model.) 2 sheets-'shet 'J. A. DEWEY.

. FOLDING BEDSTEAD. No. 499,287. PatentedJune'ls, 18913.-

(No Model.) 2 suelen-sheet 2.

J, A. `'1n-BWM. FOLDING BEDSTEAD.

No. 4919,28?. Patented June 13, 1893.

bi su @XXL my J l Supa/Lilo@ 3o open position.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOSIAl-l A. DEWEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING BEDSTEAD.

SPECIFICATON forming part Of Letters Patent-NO.'499,287, dated. Tulle 13, 1893.

Application filed July 13, 1892. lSerial No. 439,868. (No model.)

tain new and useful Improvements in Folding Bedsteads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to 1o make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement-in y folding bedsteads.

In folding bedsteads it frequently happens that when aweight is applied on the bed near r 5 the pivotal point of the side rails the side rails and foot-board are caused to rise and close the bed. In a number of cases serious accidents have occurred from the accidental closing of ,the bed, and the object of my inventionis to 2o so construct the parts that any amount of pressure applied to any portion of the bed cannot possibly operate to close the bed, .and with this end in view my invention consists in the parts and combinations of parts as will z5 be more fully explained and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel is a perspective view of my improvement. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same in its Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section representing the bedstead in its closed position, and Fig.v 4 shows amodified form of the bar connecting the springs.

A represents an upright casing or frame constituting the head board of a bed and B are the side rails pivoted at their forward ends to the frame A at or near the lower ends of the latter, the said side rails being rigidly secured at their outer ends tothe foot-board C.

4o The side rails B are as before stated pivoted to the sides D of the casing A. Secured to the sides and bottom of the casing at a point below the pivotal point of the side railsB is a semi cylindrical strip c', which latter is cut away on its upper face near its ends for the reception of the rails B, and when the bedstead is in its open position, the flat side of said strip c forms an abutment for the inner or lower end of the facing or bottom of the 5o bedstead. Secured to this strip c is a series of wires, cords or equivalent devices a which latter are connected at their upper free ends coils of the wire forming the bed bottom. To

doors E, which latter are adapted to be swung outwardly to the position shown in Figs. 1 and sides with projections d upon which latter the side rails B rest when the bed is in its open position. Bythis arrangement the doors when open form an extended bearing for the casing A and absolutely prevent the latter from tilting forward on to the bed, and the projections d form supports for the side rails B.

The rear ends of the side rails B are circular orrounded in form and are each provided with a longitudinal groove, which latter commences from the under side of said railsB and runs partially around the latter. Secured to the under side of said rails B and within j, the'opposite ends of which are secured to the rear side of roller 7c, which latter is pivotally secured to the rear bottom end of the sides D. On the rear face of roller k is secured another 'set of ropes j', the opposite ends offwhich are secured to the inner face of the doors E at or .near the lower edge of their pivotal point, the ropes j passing over the top of roller la, while the ropes j pass around the under side of said roller. When the bed is lowered the cause them to open,`which operation unwinds the ropes j j and when it is desired to close the bed, the ac t of tilting the bed body causes the roller 7c to turn in the opposite direction, which movement winds the ropes j around the rollerand'f olo'ses the doors E and causes' .fthem to assume a position against the lower part of the bed bottom. f Y

Secured to the side rails B at a point near the foot board is a strip Z to which latter is connected the main portion of the coil springs or spring mattress, while the opposite ends of said springs are connected by the strip F. The head portion of the mattress or coil springs is supported at one end by a strip or rod F, which latter moves back and forth in a dovetailed groove m formed by two strips secured on the inner surface of sides D as shown in the drawings.

By connecting the head and body sections to the rod b, which in turn is connected to the the front ends of the sides D are secured the u yside rails B press against the doors EA and' 2, said doors being provided on their inner the grooves t' are the ends of the ropes or cords IOO of the spring bed bottom by a rod, and connecting said rod b to the strip c by cords or wires a, it follows that when a body is lying on the bed the greater portion of the weight is borne by the springs or that portion of the wire mattress between the rod b and foot board, and as the rod bis limited in its movement toward the foot-board, by the wires, cords or chains a, it follows that said rod and the wires a bear the greater' portion of the strain, instead of the head board or portion of the bedstead to which the shorter springs are secured, and as this rod l) is approximately on a line with the pivots of the side rails, the

tendency of the bed to close up, when a weight is resting thereon at or near the pivots of the side rails, is avoided. The wires a also prevent the springs or mattress of the long section of the bed bottom from bncklikng when the bed is in its open position, and it is also l true when the bed is in its closed position.

During the operation of closing the bed the abutmeuts h h secured to strip F move in the dovetail grooves and cause said strip to come in contact with the lower inner edge of the casing A, thus preventing any escape of the bed clothes. the pressure from the short or head section of the spring bottom.

When the bedstead is folded up like others it is ornamented and constructed to represent a'book-case, press, wardrobe or like article. This feature however forms no part of my present invention.

In order that any of the well known wire mattresses in use may beemployed in connectionwith my improvementI have shown in Fig. 4 a modified form of rod b, which latter is made in two parts, said parts bei-ng semicylindrical in form, which will allow of their beingclamped to the coils or meshes of the short and long sections of the spring bed bottom alternately and when both rods have been inserted so as tol join both sections of the bed bottom, they are bolted together in any suitable manner.

Itis evident that changes in the construc- I tion and relative arrangement of the several partsmight be made without avoiding my invention and hence I would have it understood l that I do not restrict myself to the particular construction and arrangements of parts as l shown and described, but, 1

Having fully described my invention, what This is accomplished by 5 I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a casing, side rails pivoted thereto and a foot-board, of a spring bed bottom connected at points near the head and foot-boards, a strip secured to the casing at a point below the pivotal attachment of the side rails and casing, and fiexible devices se cured to said strip and connected to the spring bed bottom, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a casing, side rails pivoted thereto and a foot board, of a two part spring bed bottom connected at points near the head and foot boards, a rod passing through or connected with said springs, a t strip located beneath the pivotal points of the 2 side rails and casing and` iiexible devices attached to the strip and carrying the rod, sub- 3 stantially as set forth. 3; The combination-with a casing, side rails l pivoted thereto-and a foot board, of doors pivotally secured to the casing and adapted to support the bed bottom when in its open pol sition and means for automatically closing lsaid doors when the bed is raised to its closed l position, substantially as set forth.

1t. The combination with a casing,.side rails pivoted thereto andfafoot board, of doors pivgotally secured to the casing and adapted to i support the bedf bottom when in its open pol sition, and a roller having a series of ropes seg cured thereon the free ends of one set of ropes l being secured to the siderails, while the free g ends of the remaining set of ropes are attached i to the doors whereby the said doors are autol matically closed when the bed bottom is raised l to its closed position, substantially as set forth.

`pivoted thereto and a foot board connecting l the side rails, the pivoted ends of the side rails .being curved or rounded, of a sliding rod mounted at its ends in the cas-ing, and a spring bed bottom connected at one end to said sliding rod and atthe other end to the foot board or in close proximity thereto.

In testimony whereof I have signed this j specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSIAI-I A. DEWEY.

\Vitnesses:

E. L. CUTTING, M. S. GILL.

l 5. The combination with a casing, side rails ICO 

